Nodding politely to the bedraggled dwarf, Isabella raised an eyebrow at his observation. Red had not considered how his movement or actions may have contrasted with the woman's features, thinking quickly he smiles, "Miss Roja will do Mr. Solomane" Smiling sweetly, he continues, "And we Varisians are known for our glowing skin and youthful appearance, so I will take your observation as a compliment."
Turning quickly to continue carrying items, she notices Nempura's quick glance. Thinking as she takes a few of the things of value to the front of the cave. 'These folks aren't stupid, I'll need to come up with something believable quickly. Maybe amnesia?'
Thinking about her options as she notices Nempura quickly fleeing the cave. Hearing the muted explosion, she asks, "What now?"
Hearing someone else speak up about the contrast between Roja's appearance and behavior only confirms Higgins's suspicions that this was no lady. Surely someone on the run, then. Why else hide her true identity? What was she running from, though--the law? Was she a bandit?
His thoughts are interrupted as beautiful silhouette emerges from the cave, backlit by a flash of light and the thunder of an explosion that echoes through the night. "Fine bit of blastin', Nempura. Nice ta have women o' so many talents 'round here." The aquatic elf was also more than she appeared, and it was a treat to see her many talents. Maybe Roja, too, just needed to get away from a bad situation?
"Mr. Solomane, we're dealin' with some troubles of our own, 'fore we ran across ya. If yer as handy throwin' fire as ya are makin' it, we sure got a place fer ya." Given the events of the day, it felt like every new face was a possible fresh recruit. "But I wouldn't blame ya if yer lookin' fer a fresh start somewhere else."
The dwarf squints at the sunlight. As the dust bursts from the mouth of the cave, he says, "Not to prickle, but I prefer the Dr. appellation. I earned it fair and square. As for blowin' things up, I'm better at patching burns than making them, but I'm not the worst at the latter. What are these troubles..."
Surprised at Wes' comment about talented women, it took Red a second to realize the hunter was probably including him in that description. Trying to imagine how Maria would respond to a compliment from the man. Looking at Wes ever so briefly, she smiles and nods, then looks away again. Relieved when he begins to speak with the dwarf.
Raising an eyebrow when the dwarf insists on being called 'Dr.' 'What a hopped up, over-educated, ungrateful, tenderfoot.' Red resists the urge to give the 'good doctor a piece of his mind. Instead, in the best imitation of Marie he can muster, Isabella gestures toward the boxes. "My apologies Doctor Solomane, 'We've carried your equipment out here so as not to be harmed by the blast. But it looks like you'll need to fetch a wagon from town to carry it all."
As she begins to move towards her piebald mare, she continues. "Deputy Higgins," Realizing that Roja would not have the same prejudice against the educated easterner that Red would, she tries to tone down the attitude. Giving a light smile, "I mean Wes, seems to be interested in helping you. Seems like you may want to take him up on it."
As she mounts the Paint, she looks towards the others, then asks, "Are we taking the good doctor to town or headed elsewhere?"
"To town," she replies. They will take the hardier materials with them. Some of the more important glassware, Nempura will pack in her own portable alchemist lab securely, but the majority of the larger flasks and items that would break will be left behind.
"Good Doctor, when you do come back out, come with a crew of able fighters. These woods are not safe, and the cave may not be either. I'd suggest to ye that you consider these lost and just make due with whatcha got. Plus, we could use someone who patches up burns if you are interested. We can have words with the sheriff as to what you'd want to do."
If everyone is ready, they will set out and ride back toward the road to town. If they make it to the main road without hazard, she will look toward their intended original destination, will turn from it, and head back in. She just wonders if the sheriff will be disappointed in them. To her, saving the Doctor's life was more important.
"Deputy Higgins, eh?" he replies to Roja. "Guess we're all usin' titles now?" He's a bit confused as the hostility spills over from the Doctor to him, but it was hard to process and seems to fade quickly.
So he focuses on the dwarf. "Listen Doc, it's a bit hard ta explain the troubles," says Higgins, shortening the appellation which seemed far too convoluted. He wasn't so sure he wanted a snooty dock with them if that was his attitude. "If yer more 'bout healin' than fightin', might have a hard time where we're headed. Sheriff's business, and we're lookin' fer trouble."
"I ain't sure we got time fer takin' you all the way back to town. Know the way back from the ferry? I reckon you'll be safe enough after that." He looks to Nempura as he contradicts her plans, and feels a bit heartless for doing so--if the Doc were a woman, Higgins would probably not hesitate to take her all the way back. "Er, only if ya feel safe, Doc. We're deputies here ta serve."
"Wait, wait. If I understand what you are saying, you have important business to attend to. No need for you to abandon your tasks for me. I can ride, or walk as need be. When you are finished, we can all head back together."
They did just save his life. She considers this as she answers Wes and Doctor Solomane.
"We came all of this way to deal with things, sure, but the road ahead may be dangerous, particularly since we deviated to save you. When we came upon what happened on the road, it was hard to turn aside, but I'm glad we did. I'd hate to have your life put in jeopardy again when we just freed you from a certain death situation. If you insist though, I would rather press forward. Just know, I cannot guarantee your safety. If shooting starts, you should take cover."
If he agrees, they will begin to head back up the road, but if he declines, they can leave him with the ferry and perhaps he can stay with her until they return.
Chuckling at Wes' response about titles, Roja moves nearer the Hunter as Nempura talks to the dwarf. Leaning down in the saddle she whispers "I just wanted to remind the good doctor he's not the only one with a title."
Feeling the dwarf had been ungrateful, Roja decided she should keep her mouth shut and let the two experienced deputies deal with the dwarf. Seeing that helping them would give her a 'positive' entrance into the community. she was just happy to be involved in whatever they were doing. Either way, they would either have to move at a slower speed, or someone was going to ride double. Moving her horse so she could claim the rear, she notices the dead goblins outside the cave entrance. Remembering one was alive, she asks, "What are we going to do with our Goblin prisoner?"
"Our safety in this world is never guaranteed. We must hope for our own wisdom and the favor of the gods for the best we can find."
"Very well," she answers the dwarf and will continue on. When the subject of the goblin comes up, she will answer Roja. "We are taking him. He's not going anywhere bound as good as he is. And with any luck, will remain unconscious for some time." His health had diminished greatly due to not only the spell that hit him, but the subsequent beating of his face until true unconsciousness ensured he was near death, but not dead. Stabilized, but not doing so hot. Only a magical bit of healing would bring him back from his doomed slumber.
With them all agreeing that the alchemist is riding with them, she will spur her horse on down the road (assuming we got there, if not, ignore) toward their end goal.
Nodding as Nempura explains that they would continue on their quest. She'd assumed they would take the goblin to jail. But it didn't matter to Roja, she was happy following along and helping as best as she could. Smiling, 'At least they didn't ask me to carry the smelly goblin across my saddle bow.'
Having been selected to bring up the rear, she watches Nempura spur her horse down the road. As the others pass, she clicks her tongue at the paint mare, "Get up Girl." Bringing up the rear, reins in her left hand, her right hand resting near her forty-five.
The ride will take you about 4 hours, checking occasionally for the tracks of the Nightthrush gang and their horses. The woods are mostly everygreens, and the thick bed of pine straw and moss deadens most of the noise of your horses' hooves.
Deep in the woods, a campsite spreads on a gentle slope in a hillside clearing. A single, ancient stone building, three old wagons, several canvas tents, and a rough fence of pickets and post and rails give the place some shape. Tall grass grows around the wagons, as if they had been in place for a long time. You see two men at the north end of the camp and two at the south, keeping an eye on the paths, not looking too attentive.
"Damn it, too much to hope it'd be abandoned," whispers Higgins. "Look at that grass, though. Looks like they've been here forever."
Higgins looks for some signs of who these folks are--Nightthrush, Order of Resplendence, or something else entirely.
Nempura spots the clearing ahead and pulls her horse quickly to a stop and to the side of the road. There is nary a word before she comes to a stop, just a raised hand to halt.
Thankfully, the trees seems to have muffled their sound, and upon watching in secret for a moment, it seems their guards are mostly uncaring or lacking the motivation to be attentive to the path.
"It's not good is what it is," she whispers back. "We need to creep up on them and get the lay of the land. Should we cause conflict here? No doubt they don't have the rights to this place and are squatting, but as for visible crimes, I don't think we can hold them up to anything unless we identify ourselves and they open fire on us."
She grits her teeth at the thought and dismounts. She will lead her horse into the treeline and off of the road so it's not easily seen. It is sneaking time.
+blend
'Damn is right.' Nodding her head in agreement with Wes, Roja, looks at the clearing remembering her days as a soldier. 'Old wagons, canvas tents a picket line. If they set up like the military it would be two troopers to a tent, one to a horse, the wagons would be for gear and food.' Believing Nempura's idea of getting 'the lay of the land' is a good idea, Roja dismounts and approaches Nempura and asks, "If they see you, do you want us to come guns a blazing, or bring your horse in a hurry and ride out?"
Tired and feeling thin, Pan Pan takes the opportunity of the discovery of the camp to stretch and eat a little food. It's been a long night already and may be about to get longer still.
"Sheems ve cannot go anyvhere vitsout stumblink upon bandits, ja?" Myrandya mutters. "If you vill be goink in, zhen I vill be goink too. Qvietly, ja, viss great care und my mixtures ready to tsrow."
She unstoppers a vial on her belt and knocks it back. It causes her to shiver slightly and widen her eyes as if she has become more alert. The little demonic gnome then follows carefully behind Nempura.
"No, they've done no crimes here yet that we can see. If we are caught, we'll declare ourselves. If they open fire, then you can. If we are shot before you hear us declare ourselves, then do not open fire. You must declare who you are as an officer of the law so they can hear you and then if they keep firing, you are free to engage. We don't know who these are for certain yet. It could be a rancher seeking shelter with his crew on the way to pick up a herd."
With that, if there is nothing else, the two will head off to scout what they see.
Something about being an officer of the law rings true for Pan Pan. She wasn't deputized like the others, but why not approach the group and be friendly?
"In my life I have seen the worst in people, but most are not like that. I want to think that, anyway; the alternative is despair. I would go with someone to approach them directly if we want to give them a chance."
”Just scope ‘em out first. If it’s more goblins, I ain’t chattin’.” Higgins tries to figure out more about the inhabitants of the camp.
You only see four horses, and the four apparent sentries are clearly humans.
There are signs that more people have come and gone, but it looks for now it looks like only the four that you can see based on campfires burning, tracks around the camp, etc.
So far it doesn't seem like anyone has noticed you...
Nodding at Nempura's response Isabella answers, "Good enough." Chuckling at Wes' comment about goblins, Isabella dismounts her mare, tying the reins to a nearby tree branch. Taking the Winchester out of its scabbard, she waits with the others.
Rifle at the ready, Higgins waits to see what Myrandya and Nempura might discover based on a closer scouting.
Nempura sneaks through, just trying to get a closer look into the encampment, and wonders who these folks are. She tries to remain silent.
Moving closer through the towering canopy of ancient trees, Nempura sees that one of the sentries to the south is a familiar figure. She doesn't know his gods given name, but back in town he is called Slank because he is tall and thin as a pole. So this is definitely a Nightthrush camp, probably even their main camp. From here, it would be easy to keep an eye on the road and "tax" any merchants or travelers who they encountered.
"Of course," Pan Pan demurs. "There is wisdom in caution."
She watches her fellow travelers keenly and waits for sign of trust or trouble.
Assumptions aside, she has no clear evidence that they have done any crime. Nor are they doing anything but squatting on property not theirs, if it belongs to anyone. She will indicate to Myrandya to recoil and return to the group. They could try to take on the whole gang, but the others needed to be ready, and perhaps the sheriff informed. She takes in a deep breath and then backs out back to the group.
Watching, rifle in hand, as Nempura and Myrandya sneak toward camp, Red, shakes his head. He should have been sneaking up there instead of two women. He paused for a moment, almost chuckling at himself, realizing he also was a woman. Shaking her head, Red needed to lose some of that old prejudice. A colt in the hands of a woman was just as dangerous as a colt in the hands of a man. But watching as the two began to return, she still breathed a sigh of relief as her new friends returned safe.
Nempura takes a bad step and a small branch cracks under her step. One of the southerly sentries raises his head, looking in her general direction.
"You hear that?" he says to his partner.
"Didn't here nothin'" the man replies.
The first calls out, "Hey boys, you hear something? I'm going to check it out." He moves cautiously toward the gap in the fence.
"Law and order, coming in." she offers up just loud enough for the first gang member to hear. "I'm not lookin' for trouble, Slank."
She comes into view. To Slank's view, he might be surprised it's Bella Blue. No doubt they've been through the inn a few times in their lives.
Realizing the jig was up, Isabella begins to move quickly towards Nempura. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad that the elf recognized one of the folks who's camp they were approaching.
Relieved that Nempura is working a diplomatic approach, Pan Pan hurries to be at her side when she approaches the ruffians.
2x move, activate Snake Style as a swift action.
The man calls back, "Bella Blue, step on out here. What kind of law do you think you are?"
Higgins moves up with Roja, expecting trouble.
"The real kind, darlin'," she grins, moving out so he can see her. There, upon her corset, a shining star. "I saw an opportunity and took it. You know how it is." She grins, showing her charm.
"Shame, I know...but it is what it is. What are you and yours doin' round these parts?" she flirts, hoping to keep him from pulling his gun on her. If he looks like he's about to pull, she'll have to warn him first. He may also notice her blue cap. A familiar one.
'You catch more flies with sugar than vinegar.' Smiling as Nempura sweetens her answer, Roja moves up near Pan keeping the rifle barrel lowered.
"Just made our camp here for the season, is all. Don't nobody lay claim to the stone house here, and we don't need no trouble with the law."
"It's a nice spot. Going to be a cold winter according to the flows from the north down deep in the ocean. You might wanna stack up some nice big logs for the fire so you don't freeze to death out here when that time comes. It lightly breaks the law, harvesting all that wood, but it's survival. Law's gotta bend sometime, right?" she winks playfully as she will walk up to him. There seems to be little fear in her eyes despite being a very desirable woman, seemingly alone.
Now visible to the others in the camp, she will give a little flirty wave to them with some charm. Once greetings and her new situation is explained to them too, she will continue with why she's there:
"I've got no issue with you boys, as you well know by our past..." she blushes, "...but the reason I'm out here this way is my new boss kept some stuff out here in this stone building. She asked me to pick it up for her. Mind if I...?" She will casually gesture toward the building. There was not much the others could do except watch her back and make sure they didn't plan on killing her as she hopefully got permission to enter the stone building.
In reply to Nempura's request, "That'd be up to Mama. She keeps the stone house to herself. Reckon you can ask..."
He motions with the barrel of his rifle toward the ruined stone building.
Relieved that Nempura knows the fellows they are talking to, hopefully they can accomplish whatever it is they came to do without any of them getting shot.
Seeing the rifleman gesture towards the stone building, Roja, turns taking a step so the fellow could see her, asking Nempura. "Obviously you know these boys, you figure it's safe to speak with this Mama?"
Higgins watches carefully to sense if the man is trying to set them up for an ambush.
If he thinks it's not a setup, Higgins steps out as well. "We just here to finish a job and then go. Let's keep things civil."
Hopefully, with all her team coming into the clearing, she hopes at least the dwarf will stay hidden. His companions, Mistress Galdsbretha and her shotgun rider Fordren, will be missing this. To fail to keep the doctor safe will only match what they already suspect, which is him being dead. In fact, the guns they recovered from the goblins in the cave are likely the same guns from the shipment, the same guns and goods in their packs. What will become of him if they do succeed? Will he go back on the road with his goods? She is unsure what his motivations are. She hopes to keep this interaction peaceful so the dwarf can walk high again with his friends and to sell their wares here and there without hindrance. As Wes suggested though, perhaps they could find a place of their own and he could run a shop?
Such thoughts course through her mind as she thinks of the gauntlets they must get. The blade that was taken can only be countered by them, but now Mama, the deadly magical user lies in their way. Nempura will have a challenge with this if she is truly a better mage than her and they come to blows.
With the others there, she will look to Wes.
"The only thing uncivil here with Slank and these boys is their manners." She winks playfully to them, then looking back to Isabella's direction she answers.
"Safe enough, if we're nice. One or two of ya stay with the dwarf and horses if ya care to. And if yer feelin' chatty, bother Slank here about who he's seen comin' up and down these roads. Wouldn't hurt to know who has been passing through."
She's open to whoever volunteers, but then will move up with the others to the stone building. There, she will let others lead to knock on the door. If called to come in, she'll make her way inside with them all.
Higgins heads on up and gives the door a firm set of knocks.
Chuckling at Nempura's answer to Wes, Roja Nods to Slank as she follows Nempura towards the stone building. Tucking her rifle non-threateningly into the nook of her arm, she tries to stay alert as Wes moves forwards and knocks on the door.